Monday, July 17: John at Discriminations blogs about a law school dean’s idea of diversity, which he doubts goes deeper than melanin. I concur.
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No matter how much hate e-mail I get or how many nasty blog posts my opinions generate, I will keep talking and writing about the hypocrisy of racialist double standards, the immorality of race preferences, and the unvarnished truth about skin color and cultural “diversity.” I expect naysayers to misrepresent this post as they do others, but that can’t be helped. I have no control over it.
There is a growing movement in the United States to mainstream mediocrity and define deviancy down. All cultures, ways of life, or however you want to define the ideals under which we live, are not equal, nor were they meant to be. American culture, for lack of a better term, is far better than any other on earth, including its diverse subcultures.
Among the native-born population, subcultures develop under the influence of American culture. They are dependent on and part of the main culture.
Some groups of foreigners retain part of their culture while assimilating into American culture. Other foreigners retain all of their culture and have no desire to assimilate into American culture. The latter group is a threat to how we live.
In fact, the immigrant of old is quickly becoming a relic. People land on these shores and demand from us that which would have gotten them imprisoned or killed in their home countries. With everyone from homosexuals to Muslims glomming on to the “civil rights” meme, it’s no great surprise that illegal aliens — lawbreakers — have become emboldened to demand “civil rights.”
I put the phrase in quotes because these people don’t want the obligations that come with those rights; they only want the benefits. Illegal aliens who’ve broken our laws take to our streets and demand the protection of our laws. They want to be special, not equal. They don’t want to play by the rules; they want exceptions. But the sword cuts both ways.
Illegal alien protests are only a small example of a much larger problem in the U.S. I don’t know exactly when the seed was planted, but I’d say it began to sprout and flourish in the last 20 years or so. What am I talking about? Diversity, the idea that value exists in differences, as defined by social engineers. There’s nothing valuable or worth celebrating about differences per se. Differences just are. But someone sold the idea that the dominant culture was no better than its subcultures, and that all values were equally valid and “good.” Or that the culture of an African or other third world country was not inferior to American, or Western culture.
Anybody with eyes, ears, heart, and mind knows this is not true. The ideals upon which our country was built are far superior to any other. And yes, the people who dared to dream of such a place and participate in this grand experiment are superior to others in all the ways that count.
Why do reasonable people allow the dumbing down and degradation? Why are we complicit in our own destruction? Why have we let social engineers and America-haters define for us what is good and evil? For instance, like it or not, America exists because of those vilified “dead white males.” Centuries of western thought culminated into where and how we now live. A system that is highly ordered and allows individual liberty and provides economic incentive is far superior to one that is disorganized and represses individuals and forces people to labor for the benefit its rulers. A nation whose people share a common language and culture is far superior to a balkanized one where different cultures are constantly jockeying for position.
What makes America unique is e pluribus unum, one made out of many. While America may not have begun with diverse racial and ethnic groups, the founders laid the foundation for a time they had not foreseen. That’s the beauty of it. Guided by the hand of God, they didn’t need to foresee it. All they needed to do was build the foundation on solid, objectively good principles, and yes, Christian values, and the rest fell into place. America wasn’t built on “white values.” It was built on human values, with recognition to God-given rights.
But people opposed to these rights are trying to break the foundation and create something new, something that is doomed to fail. America works because it is America. It will cease to work if it becomes a third world nation and dominated by inferior subcultures. Special interest groups and organizations intent on tearing up the foundation and changing the dominant culture to suit their needs are destroying the country.
Where did this idea of special or “group rights” come from? As much as I appreciate what the Civil Rights movement has done for me, it was this era that group rights became acceptable, particularly for “minorities.” I won’t get into why I think that’s the case because I’ve written about it before and don’t have time to get into here.
For instance, blacks are not judged as individuals. We are a group with special, not equal, rights. In the aftermath of the movement, into the 1970s, racial entitlements crept in. The mere fact that a person was black meant that he was automatically regarded as someone needing remedial help. Special admission tracks and hiring quotas were set up. All types of grievance, no matter how trivial and ignorant, became legitimate in the eyes of guilty whites. Equal opportunity gave way to equal outcomes, the absence of which was evidence of “racism.”
The same is happening with “Hispanics” and Latinos. Group rights, special rights, are all the rage. Based on misplaced white guilt, the dominant culture started to cave long ago, turning their collective back on objective truths and principles and allowing every racial and cultural minority group with a grievance to make claims and demand that which they don’t deserve and didn’t earn. Every racial and cultural minority — except whites — is allowed to lobby for its race and culture, to demand acquiescence (and tax dollars).
Ed Morrissey expresses my thoughts in his post on respect for our way of life, particularly the idea of equal treatment under the law.
A couple of weeks ago I posed the question of why we allow racial double standards. Why are groups that promote the interests of people of African or Latin American or Middle Eastern descent acceptable, but groups that promote the interests of whites, or people of European descent, unacceptable? I have yet to hear or read a logically sound answer. Emotion-laden responses are a dime a dozen, as they typically are when race is discussed. Nobody wants to think about the questions and answer them honestly.
As far as racialist groups are concerned, I believe Americans should show more loyalty to their country than to their skin color. But if we’re going to accept one group’s racial grievances as legitimate, we have to use the same standards and accept the grievances of all racial groups, including whites.
In that “controversial” post, I blogged about an hispanic racialist group called La Raza, which has zero interest in “diversity.” Last month I wrote about race-based, government-subsidized schools in California supported by La Raza in “I’m A Libertarian on Education.” Michelle Malkin’s latest column is about similar La Raza-supported schools.
Imagine, if you can, a government-subsidized school that promoted white separatism. The outrage would be unbelievable. (I have no problem with race- or sex-based private schools. Freedom of assembly is guaranteed in our Constitution.) But groups like La Raza are not condemned. They are courted and coddled. Karl Rove recently spoke to the racialist group, droning on about “immigration.” Joseph Farah does an excellent job expressing my thoughts on the matter. Read it and learn.
Rove said:
Everything that this country is, everything that we have achieved, everything that we hold, everything that we promise, is because we are a nation of diversity, brought together by immigration, and sharing a common dream.
Lawrence Auster, whom some call a racist, also expresses my thoughts. You see, unlike most, I listen to what people have to say before I make judgments, especially if what they say is considered “politically incorrect.” Their desire to protect America and maintain our way of life is far more important to me than the color of their skin. Auster responded to Rove:
So, diversity is everything that America is, everything that it means, and this diversity is only held together by … no, not by the self-evident truths that “all men are created equal, endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights,†but by a “dream.†Held together by a dream? What is a dream? A dream is someone’s wishes and desires. Bush and Rove have cast aside the objective truths of human nature that America was founded on and are declaring a new America, founded on everyone’s wishes and desires.
Those objective truths of human nature, the ones that enable each and every inhabitant of this country to live his life in peace and benefit from the labor of his own mind and hands, regardless of skin color or country of origin. The perversity of diversity is that it denies men these rights, engineering coercive policies, whereby one man’s freedom and the fruits of his labor are slowly siphoned away to those who didn’t earn them and to whom he’s done no harm.
Diversity, as defined by leftists, is a skin deep-only mish-mash of false premises based on raising the “self-esteem” of one group and alleviating the guilt of another at the expense of objective truth and to the detriment of us all.
The problem I encounter when I write posts like this is that I’ve touched on many different subjects — race preferences, illegal “immigration,” God — and tried to pull them together in an organized and coherent manner. Sometimes I fail. Certain people will read this post and render judgment without taking the time to read a few pages of the archives to get a better sense of context. As I wrote before, that can’t be helped. I trust that thoughtful, mature, and smart people who really want to learn and expand their own thinking will invest the time to read other posts before they comment.
The Cultural Decline category is worth a read. The Race Preferences category will shed light on why I criticize racial grievances. The Faith category will also help you understand why I think and write the way I do. There are several pages in each category, so click Next Page at the bottom to keep reading.
I can’t allow misunderstanding, misreading, and misinterpretation to deter me from my mission. I despise hypocrisy, moral relativity and equivalency, “diversity” as defined by white liberals, special rights, degradation of the principles that made America the great country it is today (principles which, ironically, give people who hate those principles the freedom to speak out against them!), and anyone who presumes to judge me based on my membership in a racial group rather than on my worth as a human being and an individual.
I despise cowardice, effeteness, pettiness, and people who tell me how and what I ought to think, especially when the “advice” is based on my membership in a racial group.
Diversity, as defined by leftists, has led to the perversion of American ideals. I predict that one day, after I’m long dead and buried, perhaps when those born this decade are old men and women, America won’t be great, as defined by this generation. It will be a balkanized, multilingual mass of racial and ethnic groups fighting over dwindling resources while the elites — the white liberals who engineered the whole mess — observe their dastardly handiwork.
Of interest:
Filed under: Cultural Decline, Illegal Aliens, Liberals, Race Preferences, Rants
That’s one of the most brilliant essays I’ve ever read on this or any other topic.
Comment by Chris Vachio — 07.13.06 @ 9:56 am
LaShawn,
Once again, you are right on target. As my office manager says “You go girl!”.
Regards,
Jim
Garden City, Kansas
Comment by Jim Douglass — 07.13.06 @ 10:01 am
I could not agree with you more. Keep speaking out! Your voice is so very much needed. Your post says what we all need to hear and no one can express these sentiments more eloquently than you.
Comment by Jess Pigman — 07.13.06 @ 10:05 am
Lashawn,
As usual, your writing is fabulous! It amazes me every single time. I am so thankful for bloggers and the internet. I and so many others don’t have to feel alone any more. It used to be I would almost be to the point of thinking ‘am I the only one’ who thinks these thoughts? They’re not even close to rocket science, they’re just common sense for goodness sake. Never never let the nutty folks shut you up! I do so look forward to the day, race can REALLY be discussed and skin color preferences gone. I hope I live that long. I’m a 42 year old white woman, and you are my idol!
Thanks for what you do.
Jill
Comment by Jill Browning — 07.13.06 @ 10:06 am
>>”Bush and Rove have cast aside the objective truths of human nature that America was founded on and are declaring a new America, founded on everyone’s wishes and desires.” -This statement from Auster reminded me of the movie ‘Bruce Almighty.’ I missed the middle of the film but caught the end where Bruce was wandering the streets of his city that was exploding in chaos. He lamented, “I thought they’d be happy if I just gave them everything they wanted.” (paraphrase) I thought it was a good illustration of why a society can’t thrive on the philosophy of everyone demanding and getting what they want like spoiled little children.
Comment by FL Mom — 07.13.06 @ 10:08 am
You are absolutely on target. When you decide to publish hard copy, it’ll be required reading for my students and my family.
God has blessed you. My prayer is that He will continue to do so.
Comment by Phil DeRosier — 07.13.06 @ 10:32 am
Some groups of foreigners retain part of their culture while assimilating into American culture. Other foreigners retain all of their culture and have no desire to assimilate into American culture. These groups are a threat to how we live.
Just for clarification, are you referring to the latter set of groups (who retain all of their culture) or both sets of groups (which includes the retainers of part of their culture while assimilating into American culture)?
Comment by Shade — 07.13.06 @ 10:47 am
The other morning I was sitting at a table with a Chinese woman, an Indiana, an Italian and a Puerto Rican (no, I’m not trying to make a joke). We had a wonderful conversation about religion, without really giving much thought to our differences.
It seems to me that liberal America is more hung up on our differences than any of us are.
Comment by FTM — 07.13.06 @ 10:51 am
Nice Post. I’m a first time visitor to the site. I clicked around and took time to absorb some your postings (some of which I disagreed with heavily.) However, I think the premise of today’s commentary is important. As a Black man and a long time college student (currently getting my masters), I have been grouped more times than necessary with other black people who I have no commonalities with. (Your past comments on diversity training were right on and college campuses are a haven for the perversion you speak of.) From my own experience, the so-called “perversity of diversity†leaves us with more stereotypes and groupthink. Group behavior traps us. I agree – individuality is important, but it’s tough to acquire it in this world – in this country. Furthermore, it’s difficult this to spread your message to the many apathetic black folks who have been taught to view the world as “Us versus Them.â€
Comment by Young Lucky — 07.13.06 @ 11:18 am
Throughout this terrific post, LaShawn references “engineering” repeatedly; she ends with: “the elites — the white liberals who engineered the whole mess — observe their dastardly handiwork.” AMEN.
But understand this: engineering is an exacting science. “Social engineering” is a lot of rubbish. Hitler, Pol Pot, Stalin and the Taliban were among the most successful “social engineers.”
“Social engineering” is a pseudo science and useful mainly for the purposes of propaganda. There are lots of pseudo sciences out there: scientific opinion polling, sociology, political science, multiculturalism, diversity training, community outreach, planned parenthood, Scientology, astrology, and on and on.
Just how in the world do you “engineer” diversity? Isn’t that the same as herding cats?
My life as a teacher was spent combating the concept of “situation ethics.” Nearly every liberal will tell you that all of ethics is “situational.” They have to say this, because they need a million loopholes and escape hatches to think the way they do.
Liberals have canonized the concept of “diversity” because it is the mother load of loopholes and escape hatches.
If you want to stop a room full of liberals dead in their mealy-mouthed tracks, ask them to each write down the “definition” of diversity. Bingo! If there are 20 responses, you will not find anything remotely resembling a common thread.
Typically, diversity for a liberal is not unlike the famous Clinton retort: “It depends on what the meaning of ‘is’ is.”
Comment by Heliotrope — 07.13.06 @ 12:01 pm
LaShawn - excellent work! Couldn’t have said it better myself!
Comment by Bret Ceren — 07.13.06 @ 12:06 pm
>>Just how in the world do you “engineer†diversity?>>
Well, we could start by prohibiting intermarriage…after all, if diversity is our goal, we must maintain it, right? You can’t maintain diversity if people just go right ahead and intermarry and create mixed-culture children. We have to ensure the _purity_ of diversity and prohibit _any_ intermarriage or cohabitation of individuals with _any_ person who is not of their own specific diversity group…
Then of course, we’d have to rank the groups - so that those who were most backward would be offered the greatest social boosts. You know…sort of like handicapping horse races…the ideal outcome of handicapping a horse race is that the race would end in a dead heat - no winners. Since the ideal outcome here is that everybody would end up with exactly the same assets and respect, we have to handicap those who have a head start by having more dollars, more smarts or whatever, and offer some sort of programs to elevate those who are starting from behind. I guess we’d have to assign judges as the “umpires” to keep track and make sure no one actually got _ahead_ of anybody…
Comment by suek — 07.13.06 @ 12:16 pm
La Shawn for President!
Comment by Lizzie — 07.13.06 @ 12:22 pm
Shade,
Obviously from the context of the essay as a whole, La Shawn’s intended meaning in the passage you quote, is that it is fine to retain some of your cultural heritage as you assimilate into the mainstream of American society. What is dangerous is the refusal to assimilate, and to continue to live a separate lifestyle from the country as a whole, retaining your own language and culture while rejecting the language and culture of America.
Comment by Montie Burchett — 07.13.06 @ 1:52 pm
Montie
I was 95% sure that that was the meaning of the passage, but I wanted to make sure. In that case, I agree 100%. Likewise, if a person assimilates, yet retains aspects of his or her previous culture that are negative, you still have a problem. Now the Martial Arts are an example of how America has benefited from the inclusion of an aspect of another culture since Martial Arts have been utilized by police forces, the military, and the average citizen to develop discipline, physical fitness, and self defense skills.
Comment by Shade — 07.13.06 @ 2:24 pm
LaShawn, I found your blog through Tammy Bruce’s blog, and I’m so glad I did. Your writing is outstanding, and you have so much courage and integrity and strength. Please keep up the good work, and may G-d bless you with all good things.
Comment by Batyah — 07.13.06 @ 2:25 pm
La Shawn
Great post as usual. What I found most thought provoking was your statement:
>>And yes, the people who dared to dream of such a place and participate in this grand experiment are superior to others in all the ways that count.
Comment by Kevin Garrett — 07.13.06 @ 2:45 pm
LaShawn–
I was thinking along the same lines recently. I’m reading “The Knowledge Deficit” by E.D. Hirsch, Jr. which argues that the only way to improve reading comprehension in children is to increase their general knowledge of the world. This led me to thinking about how there no longer seems to be a “core canon” that every educated American is expected to know, or at least recognize. When I was growing up, for example, ~all~ 8th Graders were expected to memorize the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution and to be able to paraphrase the Bill of Rights. Similarly, in literature, all students read (at one time or another) “To Kill a Mocking Bird,” “The Diary of Anne Frank,” “Huckleberry Finn,” “The Great Gatsby,” “The Scarlet Letter,” at least one of Shakespeare’s plays (usually “MacBeth” or “Hamlet”), and a sampling of English poets. This “core canon” gave us common references to use in discussion and in our writing.
Thanks to “Cultural Diversity” and the need to ensure that no culture is slighted, this has changed. It’s not unusual for every student in a high school English class to read a different book. How can I challenge your understanding of the text if I didn’t read it? How can I understand the allusions to “Pride & Prejudice” that are in “Bridget Jones’ Diary” if I haven’t read “Pride & Prejudice”? (Okay, that’s a silly example.)
I haven’t finished the “The Knowledge Deficit” yet. When I do, I’ll review it on my blog and maybe discuss this idea further.
Sorry for hijacking your comments!
Comment by March Hare — 07.13.06 @ 3:23 pm
My pastor mentioned that when one stands for truth, more often than not, they find themselves standing alone, all by themselves.
No matter what Miss Barber, never stop speaking the truth, no matter how lonely it may get. You are an amazing woman!
Comment by Jerry McClellan — 07.13.06 @ 3:27 pm
Great post as always LaShawn.
Comment by Ian MacD. — 07.13.06 @ 3:34 pm
La Shawn, I first want to thank you, I’ve been on here for a month or two now, I started the magic of a blog yesterday (I’d been meaning to and that was the spur that got me there). It has helped my sanity already to get the thinking out in the open and it’s great. As for this topic, it reminds me of an experience as a new RA, I had my “diversity training” and along with several other people managed to essentially lead the schools dean of multicultural affairs to admit that his goal was to promote cultures other then “white” or “anglo” cultures. Then 2 weeks later I had 2 young black women walk into my room and ask me if I had any (I kid you not) “Multicultural” students. I said to them “Yes, everyone on my hall has a culture” They abridged their request to ask if I had any black students…at least they were straight.
Comment by John — 07.13.06 @ 3:50 pm
(Comment No. 15. by Shade.)
I agree that martial arts are beneficial as a whole to the American Nation.
I think what is lacking in this debate are more specifics like that.
I’m sure pretty much everyone here would agree that *many* foreign cultural elements are detrimental to the American way of life (as first envisaged by the Founding Fathers) Now it is identified that the reality of ‘multi-culturalism’ is a liberal ‘motherlode’ of loopholes and excuses for supporting criminality, communism and white liberal guilt. So why now don’t we compose lists of (1)the undesirable elements of foreign cultures and (2) the desirable elements of foreign cultures in order to reach a level of clarity on what we both oppose and support. Leave the ‘fuzzy’ concept of ‘multicultural’ America to it’s rightful (single) parents: The liberals.
I assume it’s a given (here) that illegals are undesirable at any level, so surely all that is left is to agree what is and isn’t acceptable or desirable from legal immigrants/existing legal ‘communities’ within America?. Otherwise it’s about as fuzzy a concept as ‘multiculturalism’ itself. And I’m definitely for de-fuzzing the situation. Fuzzy is for liberals!
OK, my suggestions:
(1) Undesirables:
Mono-lingual non-English speakers.
Muslims
Non-Christian cults
Ebonics
‘rap’ culture
‘gang’ culture
Native American reservation ‘culture’
Communist ‘culture’
Homosexual ‘culture’
Feminist ‘culture’
Feminist communist ‘culture’
homosexual communist ‘culture’
Single parent ‘culture’
Welfare ‘culture’
(2) Desirables:
Martial Arts
Christianity
Certain foreign cooking methods (to be discussed)
Certain foreign clothing elements
(Slightly) foreign-accented English speakers
Those are just a few examples and other’s might agree disagree with some or all of them. But the point here is to de-fuzzy the debate.
What is and isn’t acceptable for America? Surely until you can decide those *exact* things and enforce them, it’s just tilting at fuzzy liberal wind-bags/windmills?
Comment by JohnD — 07.13.06 @ 4:15 pm
Brilliant once again!
La Shawn I feel so lucky to have stumbled upon your blog. As a White American I had never been too aware of my race until I moved to Los Angeles where I feel its often the only way I am defined. I never imagined (I know…foolish guy)before I came that I would see much racial tension or much less that I would care, but as a 3 year resident of this city I do. It’s often said that what begins in California eventually will follow into other parts of the country, and while that has brought many wonderful things to the rest of the nation, I fear that the trend is becoming to export more of the wrong things about LA across the state borders. As you can imagine La Raza is very influential in my neighborhood. I didnt have to watch the MayDay rally on TV I sat on my stoop to see all that the networks were not gonna show you. Anyway, not sure I make too much sense,but I’ve been reading your blog for a couple months now and wanted to finally say how much I enjoy it. Thanks for your bravery.
Comment by Matt — 07.13.06 @ 5:10 pm
John D, I can’t tell if you’re joking or not, but either way, the major flaw with this plan is that we’d be implying that there’s something wrong with someone…we can’t possibly do that, everyone’s okay just the way they are and to suggest otherwise would be too horrible to imagine. Just think, asking someone to change to be more easily accepted in the culture they elected to join would be horrible…bite your tongue *falls over from sarcasm overload*
Comment by John — 07.13.06 @ 6:02 pm
How can these liberals condone the behaviour of a Muslim man when he beats his wife, because “it’s cultural, it’s in the Koran”; but if a non-Muslim does it, it’s “Domestic Abuse”? Justice is one standard for all, or no standard for any.
Comment by Tom Bosee — 07.13.06 @ 6:03 pm
#22 JohnD has proclaimed: “I’m sure pretty much everyone here would agree that *many* foreign cultural elements are detrimental to the American way of life (as first envisaged by the Founding Fathers)”
If JohnD believes that “pretty much everyone here” agrees that “*many* foreign cultural elements are detrimental to the American way of life” then JohnD clearly believes most of LaShawn’s readers and responders are Neanderthal nativists.
A great many of us are Christians, proud and true. A great many of us place a high value on personal responsibility. Many of us have tasted discrimination, the effects of poverty and debilitating addictions. Many of us appreciate the guardrails of a moral system. Many of us do not turn to the government as the great source of all solutions, nor do we believe that more and more taxation can result in the elimination of addiction, poverty, discrimination, reversing the collapse of the family unit, the increase in the education success rate, a great reduction in crime and on and on.
Without significant moral guardrails, society only manages to careen from situation to situation until some “political correctness” group gets annoyed and goes into harpy mode. That invite the type of chaos that spawns dictatorship.
Lord Kelvin once posited that everything can be measured. His fool idea gained a following until it was laid bare by the paucity of any underlying common sense.
The idea that everything can be relegated to a list is to miss the point of Locke, Hume, St. Thomas Aquinas, Martin Luther, Gandhi, Jefferson, Erasmus and so many others.
Good grief!
Comment by Heliotrope — 07.13.06 @ 6:12 pm
I, too, am a loyal fan. Thanks, La Shawn, for providing insightful, unbiased, tell-it-like-it-is prose on what is happening in our World today.
I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that this was your calling… As far as I’m concerned, a day without your blog, is a day without introspection and enlightenment. I enjoy what you write so much that it’s the first thing I read when I get up in the morning!
You should be syndicated (Nancy Grace, ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX). I predict that someday soon you will be…
Keep up the exceptional work. Rock on, Sister La Shawn!
Comment by Tate — 07.13.06 @ 6:38 pm
I only got to read the first half, because I was just caught by this before heading out. As “The Assimilated Negro” I think i agree with the spirit of your sentiment. But I don’t agree with the hunt of “difference”. Difference is more important than sameness. Sameness = stagnance. Difference = evolution. From the rest of my skim it seems you’re steering towards having a problem with the mainstream or media definition of difference/diversity. But I think there’s a seed of truth on both sides …
no time now … I’ll be back.
Comment by The Assimilated Negro — 07.13.06 @ 7:04 pm
E Pluribus Unum (one made out of many)
La Shawn Barber has some extremely interesting and pertenent things to say about ‘Diversity’. I agreee one hunderd plus percent with her.
No matter how much hate e-mail I get or how many nasty blog posts my opinions generate, I will keep t…
Trackback by On the BorderLine — 07.13.06 @ 8:02 pm
Opinions. The United States is the only developed country that routinely circumcises its infant boys for non-religious reasons. The rest of the developed world sees this as an odd, backward, and archaic American tradition. Would anyone consider this a negative or positive aspect of American culture?
Comment by Shade — 07.13.06 @ 8:40 pm
Word on, as usual. BTY, I belong to a sporting club that is mostly Irish (legal)immigrants. The motto for the club is “Irish tradition; American pride.” Assimilation is the goal! This is certainly a big difference from many other ethnic groups. Keep doing what you are doing. I pray for you and your mission daily.
Comment by Cliff — 07.13.06 @ 11:05 pm
#30. Shade, I would consider it a personal decision, hopefully made by a married mother and father.
However, in keeping with the diversity/perversity theme, perhaps we should all just be neutral and accepting and look upon female circumcision as a valued icon of enlightened multiculturalism.
Or not.
Comment by Heliotrope — 07.13.06 @ 11:12 pm
You are brilliant. This essay literally brought tears to my eyes–for the country I love, the country we’re rapidly losing, the one my children will likely never know.
Comment by Deb — 07.14.06 @ 3:08 am
MUST READ OF THE WEEK
Everthing Lashawn Barber writes is brilliant of course, but this post takes brilliant to a whole new level. There is a growing movement in the United States to mainstream mediocrity and define deviancy down. All cultures, ways of life, or…
Trackback by insomnomaniac — 07.14.06 @ 3:28 am
Great Post on Diversity
I think that you should all check out this post by La Shawn Barber. She nails it. . .
Trackback by Green Piece — 07.14.06 @ 9:49 am
‘Siyo, Again I thank you for speaking the truth. Bear
Comment by Bear — 07.14.06 @ 9:50 am
I live in a small to medium sized town in the rural part of Virginia where a majority of the residents are poor. We are about 80% white, 15% black, and we have a growing illegal immigration problem. What’s interesting is that the elite in our small town are all Indian Immigrants who adhere to the Hindu religion; they own a lot of commercial properties, and are about 70% of the town’s doctors. As a lawyer who deals with settlements and closings, I have become very close with the Indian families and I have been very interested in their opinions on immigration and illegal immigrants.
Many of them have been very candid with me and what they have told me is very revealing. Many openly say that Americans who are born here, both black and white, are actually destroying themsleves with a culture that promotes lazyness and sex. They have criticized blacks and have said they get enraged when they see black women spending 90% of their paycheck on a ridiculous hairstyle. The also criticize white people since they think they have no concept of family. They are shocked to see the amount of divorces that take place, and the fact that kicking kids out of the house at 18 is glorified, which only encourages greed and family abandonment. One Dr. told me he was saddened by the complaceny that exists in people who already have an advtange in speaking the native language, yet settle for working at bars or as cashiers in the local retail store. He can’t believe that people don’t value education in this country.
Another Dr. said that all these people are getting angry at illegal immigrants coming in and doing all these jobs, but hes observed that the people getting angry call in sick about twice a week, sit at home and obsess about various celebrities, and don’t really care if their kids are doing well in school.
A lot of these Dr.’s were basically criticizing modern American culture, and they weren’t looking favorably upon white or black people, and said the lazyness, greed, and sloth promoted by American culture had contributed to society’s decline and a demand for illegal immigrants.
I find myself agreeing with them more and more.
Comment by james burgess — 07.14.06 @ 10:00 am
Pennsylvania Town Enacts Strict Illegal Immigration Ordinance
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,203513,00.html
Comment by Tate — 07.14.06 @ 10:45 am
“Lawrence Auster, whom some call a racist, also expresses my thoughts. You see, unlike most, I listen to what people have to say before I make judgments, especially if what they say is considered “politically incorrect.†Their desire to protect America and maintain our way of life is far more important to me than the color of their skin.”
Lawrence Auster is another hero of Stormfront, the Neo-Nazis. For all the claims of it ‘not being about the colour of skin’, why then do people like Auster persevere with claims that it is in fact ALL about race?
“Mr. Auster stated at an American Renaissance Conference, “Either blacks accept the above facts; accept a society where white Western standards of law, behavior and intellectual life are dominant and where advancement will be open for blacks only on an individual, not a collective basis; accept their status as an ethnic minority and be grateful to be living in a white society where they have goods and opportunities undreamed of in a black society; or else, if blacks are not willing to accept these things, then to avoid race warfare there must be peaceful separation between the races.â€
Yet again here we have Neo-nazis at the head of the argument. They murdered millions of non-Nazis. Their distrust and claims for superiority of ‘foreigners’ (non ‘Aryan’ races) is what drives their hate and delusions of supremacy.
Are we supposed to roll over and finally accept their white supremacist arguments because of ghetto-ized populations?
Less than one lifetime ago we were fighting the Nazis with all the blood and resources we had.
Now we are citing them as experts on ‘racial’ problems and National policy??
Sickening.
http://www.stormfront.org/forum/showthread.php?p=239460
I vow that every molecule of my being will oppose them to the end. It is not ‘politically correct’ to oppose Nazis, any more than it is ‘politically correct’ to oppose the Taliban.
Comment by JohnD — 07.14.06 @ 11:00 am
LaShawn,
I am a long-time silent “lurker” and have really enjoyed your site. I’ve often been impressed with you but this one is by far one of the best pieces I’ve read ANYPLACE on this topic.
Daaang, when’d you get so smart anyhow?
J. Fogle
Comment by J. Fogle — 07.14.06 @ 11:31 am
#26
Heliotrope claimed:
“If JohnD believes that “pretty much everyone here†agrees that “*many* foreign cultural elements are detrimental to the American way of life†then JohnD clearly believes most of LaShawn’s readers and responders are Neanderthal nativists.”
Not a very good try at putting words in my mouth.
I’ve already asked you politely to refrain from making assumptive personal attacks and smears.
When I say that a great many here are opposed to undesirable culutural elements in American society I mean *just* that. I mean EXACTLY that.
Will you disagree that ebonics is bad for America? Will you disagree that Islam is bad for America? How about Hispanic gang culture? One need hardly be a ‘neanderthal nativist’ to oppose such cultural elements. Or do you disagree that these elements are detrimental?
Rather than make a personal attack and a smear campaign, please answer the points I made above. I argue that it is much more interesting to discuss points/opinions other than to attack posters with slurs and false claims.
“The idea that everything can be relegated to a list is to miss the point of Locke, Hume, St. Thomas Aquinas, Martin Luther, Gandhi, Jefferson, Erasmus and so many others.”
I did not say that we should ‘relegate’ to a list. I am saying that the general dissatisfaction with ‘unamerican’ elelements needs to be de-fuzzyfied before action can be taken.
Is that such a wild idea?
Comment by JohnD — 07.14.06 @ 12:19 pm
God Bless You and thanks for this site… We all need to hear this. I wrote something similar to this for our local newspaper forum:
Topic: QUESTION OF SLAVERY AND ITS EXISTENCE TODAY
This was a question that was asked to a friend in Louisiana during a college class discussion this week and it became a very interesting discussion…some did not want to discuss it, afraid of offending people of color in the group…this is what I gave her…please give your opinion, I will share them with her at a later date:
This was the moderator’s opening statement:
This subject may well cause a great deal of controversy and people will bristle at some of the issues that may arise. However, we believe that slavery exists in myriad ways. Each person in the group began to voice various opinions on this subject, some were negative and others were in question…they admitted that they weren’t sure. Some went all off into left field with answers, such as Mardi Gras Indians, French settlement, Europeans, etc.
The conversation was becoming boring, lengthy and drawn out and another gentleman gave her this statement:
I have avoided this for a long time. But, it is time to cut to the chase. The slaves of the past are just that. The slaves of the “now” are slaves to themselves. Your freedom lies within. Done deal. Deal with it.
The moderator replied: You may disagree with what we ultimately say but you may agree. Yes the bounds of slaverly can be cast off by the persons of strength but what if that strength is destroyed by questionable means?
At that point, I felt like I knew where he was coming from. I gave this statement for her to go on…
Only because I’ve had my first cup of coffee this morning, that I may attempt to deal with this early in the morning….
You stated and asked someone the question:
Yes the bounds of slaverly can be cast off by the persons of strength but what if that strength is destroyed by questionable means?
Since we are speaking in parables today…that can be a yes and no answer, all in who you ask and who really knows their history. But I agree with the previous gentleman and his statement.
Slavery has long been abolished, although many of our ancestors didn’t get to enjoy their freedom in a timely manner (no fault of theirs, thank you), and that was hundreds of years ago. I can only speak as a person of color born in the 50s in New Orleans, abandoned at Charity Hospital at birth (whoever she was, I’m grateful, I ended up with great parents), a ward of the state for the first year of life, and have been given ancesteral stories from my adoptive parents that were born in 1914 and 1917 respectively, them being born to slave parents from East Texas (father) and Clinton, La. (mother), hearing the stories of their treks living in southeast Lousiana over the years, i.e., education, work conditions, voting rights, housing rights, etc., we’ve been blessed (not lucky) as a people despite poplar opinions.
Overtime (decades), a younger generation (multiple races) has been permanently damaged by masked governmental manipulations (ah oh, I’m in trouble now!):
1-Creation of the welfare & food stamp system as we know it today (should’ve made it STRICTLY for the elderly, healthy poor people still can work)
2-Medicaid/Medicare (should’ve been STRICTLY for the elderly & governed EXTREMELY closely with the disabled because that’s where your problem is today). Instead of Charity Hospital for the poor and indigent, the government allowed welfare recipients to CHOOSE their private physicians and private hospitals for their pregnancies and deliveries, thus, making the physicians one rich group of people at $1,000.00 a visit (now calculate that when you’re seeing about 20 patients a day, not counting diagnostic testing)…geez, and the cost of a delivery, C-section, premature birth, drug-addicted newborn, etc. (man, ya’ll making a killing). I’ve processed your bills & charges at work…and then the government says they can’t get a tubal ligation to prevent future pregnancies if they are under the age of 21 - and we know that many will have most of the babies under the age of 21….as Emeril would say…BAMMMM!!!!
3-Prayer in schools (if you didn’t want to hear them or participate, step outside or stop up your ears as they did when I was in school (majority wins), but noooo, ACLU says we’re infringing on others rights! I had teachers who didn’t want to pray, but they just kept silent. They recited the Pledge of Allegiance - some just didn’t participate (that was ok), but noooooo, you had to rid it altogether.
4-Government housing (HUD started it, gave it to them with hardly any strings attached and now decades later, they are called your neighborhood trash, but you, the government created this monster yourself); you, the government told them that this was their neighborhood and they made it just that, allowing them to pay as little as $16.00 a month for rent and don’t have to work…when it really belonged to you (government). …and at one time, you were making these people feel as if they were “owning” a piece of this pie…making them “overseers,” (ouch, ouch, ouch, that word sucks), creating resident-based housing coordinators, etc., PLEASE!
Growing up, I never met a person of color who WANTED to live in a housing project…PLEASE!!!
5-You, “MR. BIGG” (Corporate America, major business owners, shipping tycoons, Law Officers (yea ya’ll got busted too, right?, Politicians, Attorney/Drug Dealer(Bodenheimer & Company), school teacher (Meth Labs in your backyard), etc. of the world who made your money off of manipulating the weak, the poor and uneducated, teaching them that selling your illegal drugs will make you rich, INSTANTLY! You told them that they could have ALL of the finer things in life this way. You sold and gave them the guns and ammunition to “protect” themselves & their territories while they sold this stuff. Now, they are the criminals that are out of control in your comfortable neighborhoods (even though you are still running further and further out the city), because they now have the mentality thinking this is definitely their way of life or death? (because the only way to rid them is to kill them off now, huh?)
6-They now feel that the American way of life takes too long now (school, college?), even though, the government has okayed private career schools to manipulate poor and ill-prepared people to sign for $10,000.00+ student loan for a less than 12 month education (who’s making the money here? sure ain’t the graduate). They get into these schools with less than a 7th grade education, can barely read or write and they are graduated anyway because of the “guaranteed government approved loans” they signed…remember, they can’t hard read it.
7-Forget the church, because some of this generation thinks that God doesn’t answer prayers FAST ENOUGH today….hmmm…the church, wow, let’s see, the priests (child molestations that have been slapped on the hands for decades until now (church vs. state???—-as Hammer would say…”can’t touch that” huh?), some of the tele-evangelists with the prayer cloths for sowing a seed to their ministries (allowed to televise because of their monies they pay for the air time) (are they government tax-exempt too, huh?), ooops, I forgot, Freedom of Religion; and they fly around in Leer jets and tell them, if you believe in what I say, you can have this kind of life too; (but they soon realize that the monies from selling drugs comes quicker); but the government also says (and that other group - ACLU) I can’t pray at work (oh, yes I can, God hears me from my heart), I can’t pray in school (oh, yes I can, He still hears me from my heart)….Preachers are now getting involved in the politics by running for the public offices…and we know that there is no such thing as “clean” politics. Rev. Bro. Preacher, you can’t have your cake and eat it too!!! We also know that it consumes a lot of time and effort…so that means that you are not able to give 100% to leading people to Christ, someone else has to stand proxy for you. However, I do hold dear to my heart, those lay men and women that I do know are out there with the prison ministries, the food and work programs for the homeless, recovering drug addicts, and other disadvantaged people teaching the way to Christ and to straighten their lives out…God is watching and He’s blessing your works as we speak here today on this forum. Do not sway, keep doing the work, you are not being ignored.
8-Some civil rights activists tell them that you have rights and you can be better and you can do better…but all they see is those leaders and their families doing better. Some of them really want to believe in you, but you have to really get in there and do something realistic. Get your hands dirty and start your own career schools with the monies that all people (all races) are putting into your national organizations and give them the education that they can’t afford, so they can stop getting deeper in debt with these unnecessary student loans. Stop depending upon the government to get it started. But we have to really give of ourselves and stop just helping ourselves. We can do this ourselves! Use the government grants and programs available to our advantage….raise the people up! For example, I love Habitat for Humanity, they don’t just “give” you a house, you must earn it, by having a job, by getting out there and help build that house…yea, getting your hands dirty~~~
Well, slavery you ask? Yep history is just repeating itself…just as the man said…ONLY BECAUSE YOU ALLOW IT TO!!! It’s just like vampires and voodoo, they can only hurt you…if you believe in them, right?
Ms. Moderator…by the way,
-
- Judas sold out Jesus for money too (ouch), He died for our freedom, (no race was chosen) huh?
- We rich people of color made a HUGE mistake hundreds of years ago…we sold people of color to other people for money…ouch!!! Thousands die because of it and thousands were handled like animals for many, many years to follow(ouch)
- Civil rights laws were established, but not without a price paid. Many died by the hands of people who hung them, hosed them, beat and shot them because they did not want this freedom to happen (ouch), and now voting rights are being questioned again? Young people….wake up!!!! What is happening here?
- Here we are in the 21st century, and you ask about slavery repeating itself?
- Yeppin’ deedie…it sure will, if we allow it to…ain’t gonna happen if I have anything to do with it…
…and if by chance, there are young generation people reading this, WAKE UP AND TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR LIVES!!!
Comment by Mimi T. Holmes — 07.14.06 @ 12:48 pm
#24 John said:
“the major flaw with this plan is that we’d be implying that there’s something wrong with someone”
I wasn’t actually joking John. I understand your sarcasm in the vein it was intended, but in this case it was unnecessary. You see, I have absolutely no problem in implying there is ’something wrong’ with people.
There’s certainly something wrong with illiteracy. There something wrong with the selfish, materialistic, short-sighted world of so-called ’street culture’. There’s something wrong with Islamic Nationalists and white Supremacists. The ‘white’ supremacists. No problem in stating that.
What I don’t understand is why we have to point to neo-Nazis as people worth listening to just because certain so-called ‘communities’ are crime- ridden yet explained away by the plainly ridiculous ‘multi-cultural’ lobby.
The genetics thing simply doesn’t wash with me.
More sensible to define what exactly IS good for American culture and what exactly ISN’T.
It isn’t about colour of skin. It’s about behaviour and cultural elements. And as yet, apart from Christianity, Martial Arts and a few Hindus, I haven’t heard anyone here state what cultural elements are either desirable for, (or else destroying) America as a Nation.
Comment by JohnD — 07.14.06 @ 12:55 pm
La Shawn,
I recently attended a Latin Jazz concert at the Hollywood Bowl. At one point the Latina singer said to crowd…”I know there are some of you that are not Latinos, but we like you anyway”. Can you imagine some “White” entertainer saying the same thing? The hypocrisy and double standards exist everywhere. I really don’t think she meant to be offensive, but it’s PC now to throw out those types of comments, but if a White” does the same thing….well you know.
Comment by Sparky — 07.14.06 @ 1:27 pm
As a white girl who grew up in the ghetto, I have seen firsthand, in the schools and public life, how the failed leftist policies have damaged the Black and Latino communities. Leftists live vicariously through the underclass, whose trails and travails they romanticize. The leftists really do not fit in with, and have a simmering resentment of, the greater society and will do anything to make Blacks and Latinos hate it too. They let the Blacks and Latinos live in opposition to the mainstream, with all the risks and consequences inherent in doing so, while the liberals do not have to suffer the consequences of such a lifestyle. Liberals are like the British and French during the French Indian wars. They use the Blacks and Latinos to fight the power structure. It can only end badly for the minorities, as it did the Indians.
Comment by Miss Carnivorous — 07.14.06 @ 1:50 pm
#42 - Mimi
Awesome post! Loved it! Thanks for sharing…
Comment by Tate — 07.14.06 @ 2:08 pm
“Liberals are like the British and French during the French Indian wars. They use the Blacks and Latinos to fight the power structure.”
I have to disagree there. I don’t think that blacks and latinos are dumb animals that can be easily used/herded by ‘liberals’.
With respect, why would it be that ‘black’ or ‘latino’ people are assigned the role of political pawns in a (white?) power game?
Is that the reasoning? If so I am stunned at how offensive that notion is. Also there is the assumption that the average liberal voter is nothing more than a ‘wiley, superior whitey’? Or else a pawn?
Comment by JohnD — 07.14.06 @ 2:14 pm
#32:Heliotrope
I think that your use of “personal decision” is somewhat of a misnomer since the ‘person’ the procedure is being performed on is not making the decision.
Now the existence of female circumcision in some cultures is a good example of the superiority of American culture in that respect, since it is illegal to perform such a procedure on minors and the unwilling. Likewise, the U.S. condemns this as does the World Health Organization. Such a condemnation includes all forms of female circumcision including Type I, which creates a dilemma.
Type I female circumcision is, at most, comparable to the routine male circumcision that is the acceptable norm in the U.S. This continues to be the acceptable norm despite every major medical organization declaring the procedure unnecessary. Thus, we have one instance of cultural hypocrisy that exists in the U.S.
Comment by Shade — 07.14.06 @ 2:31 pm
Who said that they were dumb animals? Nobody is saying that. They were, however very vulnerable and not fully formed or assimilated into society after slavery and on into today. Liberals instituted policies and encouraged behavior in Blacks and the youth culture that were terribly damaging and had far reaching repercussions. Blacks were in fact tricked into believing that white liberals were their saviors, when in fact they were leading them to their doom in many cases. The free love and do whatever you feel culture of the 60’s didn’t have a detrimental effect on the educated white hippies who had nothing to lose as they had family money and rehab to fall back on, but the encouragement of such behavior damaged black families forever. there were no safety nets for Black men when they became addicted to alcohol, had criminal records or deserted their children in droves.
Comment by Miss Carnivorous — 07.14.06 @ 3:10 pm
>>I have to disagree there. I don’t think that blacks and latinos are dumb animals that can be easily used/herded by ‘liberals’.
With respect, why would it be that ‘black’ or ‘latino’ people are assigned the role of political pawns in a (white?) power game?>>
I’ll risk being politically incorrect here and say that while I agree that blacks and latinos are _not_ dumb animals, they are very frequently uneducated. They can be used as political pawns in any political game - white or not - by those who are better educated and more sophisticated.
The barrier can be overcome, but that has been discussed here on other columns - that is, why are there problems achieving educational success among so many blacks and latinos.
Some people play checkers, some play chess. When a checkers player attempts to play chess with a chess player, they usually get taken to the cleaners. This isn’t a factor of intelligence, I think, but just somehow a factor of how people think and approach various problems.
Comment by suek — 07.14.06 @ 3:15 pm
Highlights from the SCO Blogroll
Here are some notable posts from the group on the SCO blogroll: Captain’s Quarters - “The Vatican finally issued a statement on the conflict in Lebanon, and Catholics around the world — including yours truly — will wish that the…
Trackback by Stones Cry Out — 07.14.06 @ 3:31 pm
#48 Shade says: “I think that your use of “personal decision†is somewhat of a misnomer since the ‘person’ the procedure is being performed on is not making the decision.”
If you follow that logic, no parent should introduce religion to a child, “force” a healthy diet on a child, etc. But I trust you are not a believer in some far out Skinner type of child rearing.
If there is a crisis involving male circumcision, I failed to notice it. Certainly it is not on any list of top 10,000 urgent world problems that I have seen.
I completely understand that there are some folks who have strong feelings on the topic. I sit on a hospital board and we have addressed the medical ethics involved. The large majority of parents of the baby boys we deliver ask for the procedure. The law does not require us to obtain the permission of the infant and since there is no (statistically insignificant) medical risk involved that requires the hospital to “protect” the child from the decision of the parent.
I am still of the opinion that circumcision is the choice of the parents. Out of interest, I called the state board and I am told that the procedure is practiced in every hospital in the state.
Just so you understand, it is voluntary and I am not aware of any insurance plan that covers delivery but does not cover the procedure.
I hope this helps explain my answer a bit better to your original query.
Comment by Heliotrope — 07.14.06 @ 4:37 pm
La Shawn Barber takes on the challenging topic of diversity and wrestles with the notion that the ideals and principles of the third world are equally as good as the ideals of America. Further, does bestowing special privilages to minorities really help to keep America more diverse? La Shawn doesn’t think so.
Pingback by Godblogcon — 07.14.06 @ 5:19 pm
Great post, as usual. I am in agreement with everything you say!!
Comment by Republicanpundit — 07.14.06 @ 5:53 pm
If you follow that logic, no parent should introduce religion to a child, “force†a healthy diet on a child, etc.
The problem with these examples is that the choice remains throughout that child’s life whether to remain religious or eat a healthy diet. Circumcision, for all practical purposes, is permanent. Plus, a child must eat to survive, thus logic would dictate that the best diet be utilized. If a child HAS to be circumcised for his well being, logic would dictate that the parents choose the safest procedure. The question comes with the necessity of the proceedure. It is more and more being deemed medically unnecessary and what it amounts to is a form of mutilation based on American culture’s sense of aesthetics. This is one of the very few aspects of American culture that can be deemed as questionable in my opinion.
Comment by Shade — 07.14.06 @ 5:54 pm
Re 45: I don’t quite understand why being a “white girl in the ghetto” qualifies you to speak on the policy effectiveness of liberal ideas, but I have to disagree with your generalizations. You don’t attempt to address problems of such complexity and difficulty if you are not deeply committed to the potential of our great nation. Blindness and acquiescence does not make you a better patriot. Our Founders would be very unhappy people if they were here to see what their grand ideals had devolved into.
Secondly, I concur with previous disagreements regarding the placement of minority groups as pawns in some larger power struggle. Based on the collective electoral and lobbying power of African Americans and Latinos, demonstrated in much of the 20th and 21st century, this characterization is inaccurate and insulting. The efforts of marginalized men and women to realize the promises made in our constitution for a more perfect union demonstrate what it means to be American. Dare I say, no man or woman loves America more than African Americans have loved America throughout history.
Comment by Sheldon — 07.14.06 @ 6:27 pm
Of course you are right LaShawn, but you do not spend enough time on discrimination against blacks. You concentrate on ‘dumbing down’ standards when in many cases we can’t even get in the door to prove ourselves. The New York Times just ran an article about such discrimination on Wall Street:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/14/business/14bias.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
But you could apply it to almost any sector from energy to the environment. I do understand what you are saying about the ‘leftist’ crap, but sometimes quotas and diversity programs are a bad solution to a worse problem. You will agree that race relations is a problem beyond human capability to solve (as I fear is global warming).
Comment by Norris McDonald — 07.14.06 @ 7:38 pm
#55 Shade: The medical community would rarely consider circumcision to be a “necessary procedure.” In that respect you are correct.
You might rethink your original objection my comment that the decision is in the hands of the parents. (I am not one who needs “to win” the point.) I would just reassert that the legal structure of the state does not provide for a patient advocate when it involves circumcision on an infant. You may be aware that the courts have been involved on behalf of the minor patient when the parents refuse life sustaining medical treatment. This same principle of state advocacy for the minor does not apply to dental work, circumcision, establishing diets, religious teaching, attending play groups, etc. It is a matter of proportion.
As an aside, circumcision is not reversible, although prophylactic plastic surgery does amazing things.
I strongly disagree with your assertion that “It is more and more being deemed medically unnecessary and what it amounts to is a form of mutilation based on American culture’s sense of aesthetics.”
Hospitals are extremely sensitive to those procedures that fall into the “frivolous” category. Every procedure carries risk and high insurance costs. One of the reasons that so much plastic surgery is done in physician owned private surgeries is that the procedure is subject to enormous law suits and the cost of insuring the theater is enormous. That also explains why plastic surgery is so very expensive.
If circumcision were without medical merit of any sort, the medical insurance companies of the patients would drop the procedure ASAP and you would find a network of private circumcision surgeries proliferating.
Dr. Dean Adell, the radio guy, is an advocate for banning the procedure. Also, the AMA occasionally issues a paper that questions the propriety of the procedure. However, the current medical literature does not discredit the procedure. You will find, however, that countries that have socialized medicine have discontinued the procedure as not cost effective. That means that the odds of having to spend state money on an uncircumcised male are not great enough to fund the procedure.
You also note that: “This is one of the very few aspects of American culture that can be deemed as questionable in my opinion.”
“In my opinion” is a protective phrase and I respect it. On the other hand. I am not certain where I would begin if I were to try to describe American culture. I grew up in an orphanage in America and there was a culture there, but I doubt that the snapshots of life that rest in my view of reality are shared by that many others. I taught in a death row prison. I have raised my own children as well as discarded children of various ethnic groups and medical condition.
In Tennyson’s words: “I am a part of all that I have met…..” Each of us have assembled a scrapbook of memories throughout our lives that make up our “reality.” We band together in groups and our common beliefs, interests, etc. form the basis of our culture. Just what the “universal” aspects of American culture might be, I can not say.
I do not think that male circumcision has a very high position on the list of commonly proposed aspects of American culture if we were to poll the populace.
Comment by Heliotrope — 07.14.06 @ 8:51 pm
Post #58 - Heliotrope
Ditto on your last paragraph!
Comment by Tate — 07.14.06 @ 9:21 pm
I agree with bits of it, but disagree with a whole bunch.
Lashaw says “It was built on human values, with recognition to God-given rights.” So I guess slavery, racism, sexism and all other notions practiced in this nation for the first 100 years or so, are human values. That’s scary….
I also disagree that the American culture is far superior than the others. Yes, the American system is very practical and works, but c’mon this is a country where less than a 100 years ago, if you weren’t white and male, you were considered a nobody.
As for the nations in third world countries where as you say various groups are fighting for power with each other. Who’s fault is it, that the African tribes have various ethnic groups fighting. Definetely a result of Westernization. I’ll talk about that a bit later.
The 1884 Treaty of Berlin divided Africa among European countries like a piece of cake. The African tribes had their own boundaries and geographical regions, their own political system, economical system and many of kingdoms flourished. The Europeans came over and re-structured the regional boundaries so that you had people from different ethnic groups living together.
And just how did Europe get rich and develop, it was through the wealth of Africa and Asia.
Why is India so poor today? In the 1870’s, there was a faminine in India. The famine wasn’t due to the scarcity of food, but because at the time India being a British colony was shipping grains to Great Britain and charging higher price to the Indians who couldn’t afford it. India never recovered from that.
How is this all linked to America. America is party of the Western World and was started by these same Europeans who were robbing Africa of its wealth and using the labor force to enrich themsleves in America in what was called the Triangular Trade (Europe, Africa, America).
It’s funny how America prides itself to be the “land of the free”
but for the first 140 years of so of this country, many minorities groups had no rights. Women didn’t get the vote until the 1920’s, and the civil rights acts wasn’t passed until 1964 which was less than 50 years ago.
Even the election system, I mean the electoral college, do we DIRECTLY vote for the president.
Interestingly, people talk about other minorities group who came from Europe who succeededd like Italians, Irish ect… and the failure of blacks to succeed. The Italians and Irish did face discrimination, but also were able to intergrate themselves better because of their skin and as a result benefited from the post war economic boom in the 1940’s and other benefits that blacks couldn’t get because of discrimination from housing to employement. Interestingly, when the black Vets returned from WWI and WWII they were disappointed that the situationw as still the same, they thought they were fighting freedom in Europe, but still didn’t have freedom at home.
and it’s not like it happened like a sunday picnic, every group that wasn’t white and male basically went through “hell” to get their sweet desserts of the American dream, some were jailed, some were killed ect….
Yup, Slavery is over. But it took a bloody war to end this. It took bloody events to get freedom. It’s funny how we’re preaching adn modelling ourselves to the rest of the world as the true example of democracy and freedom. But Freedom at what cost. We criticize governments of repressing freedom to its people, when our government did the same thing and basically discouraged the freedom of other groups.
We should label ourselves as a progressive nation, because that’s what we are and that’s what I love about America, learning from its mistakes and bettering itself.
And let’s not forget that this is the same nation that counted blacks as 3/5 of the population, that basically promoted slavery and torture and racism. That’s not very Christian Like, or you want to tell me that it’s christian principles?
I have nothing against America, it’s a progressive society and it gets better with time, but I just don’t like the notion how people keep saying that this country was founded on Christian principles. They may have used the bible as a point of reference, but I hardly call Thomas Jefferson’s behavior Christian. This is the man who lusted after his slave woman and had children with her, while still promoted a system based on slavery. IS THAT CHRISTIAN?
The bible was used as a reference point, but I’m questioning how serious they took the christianity, the same way witnesses swear or the bible but don’t necessarily practice what it preaches….
And America was no better than all the third war fighting countries when it started.
Most countries in Africa got their independence in the late 1950’s-1960’s, they are still fairly new.
and when America was a new nation, it was anything than stable. I mean, didn’t America have a civil war too that devasted the psychology of the whole country just like these civil wars we hear about in third world countries.
There’s good and bad in every country, culture, people, race. This sorta of feeling that “America is superior” is what has alienated America from the rest of the world.
America is a great countries, with positive aspect and negative aspects…
and While America is diverse, it’s definetely very segregated. I don’t see that Diversity has worked, you have white churches, black churches, hispanic churches, white neighborhoods, black neighborhoods, hispanic neighborhoods, white schools, black schools, latino schools. America is more segregated than ever
Every group live within themselves. and I don’t think people want to embrace or care about diversity as long as they are happy in their predominantly non-diverse community.
While the race relations aren’t as graphic as the ethnic issues of other third countries, there’s a feeling of hypocrisy that has risen over the years. People just stay within their corner, are fake with one another ect… Race has become too politically correct, that many people and groups choose not to express their racial opinions only the radical ones….
Just like different ethnic groups in third world countries are having issues in their relations, diversity isn’t really working in America. People are just silent, Interestingly, having lived in Europe, it’s more interesting, there’s a love and hate attitude where people express their attitudes of other groups freely (there was never a civil rights movement), race in america has become so politically correct that people don’t speak their mind. I always say that I’d rather live in an environment where I know people stab me from the front than the back. People don’t express what they feel about other groups, it stays in their head.
If race isn’t an issue, then so people shouldn’t have a problem with who runs the government. Sadly, it’s not the case. If Diversity is so well celebrated in America. All the minorities that ran for political office on both major parties never made it that far even those when you analyzed their platform objectively had potential. I’m not pushing a minorities agenda, I’m sure I’ll get accused of doing it, I seriously don’t care who’s president as long as they can do the job, then I don’t think American will care then if it’s a yellow or a brown president. Or will they? Or would many people be a little shocked or suprised….
A black friend once told me that he kept telling his son to pursue his dream and in American he can be whatever he wants to. His son told him that he wanted to be a president. The dad almost cried, how do you try to be realistic with your son without crushing his dream.
Diversity isn’t working in America. I think the whole nation has been very white washed, the reason groups don’t fight with each other for power like in third world countries is simply because people have accepted one group as the majority (white) in the media, government, education ect… and the minorities have to assimilate.
Just like pschologically, Western Europe destroyed Africa through colonization. Some may say that we brought civilization, christianity to Africa. But what makes one civilization better than the other or on what scale are we grading civilization. When the Native Americans saw Christopher Columbus, they thought of the Spanish as savages, while the Spanish thought of the Native Americans as savages. This is what happened in Africa, The Euopeans took all the wealth (remember Europe was a scarce region), forced the Africans to reject their ways and learn European ways. Then after destroying the lands, they leftm gave them their independence. What were the Africans to do. They had been robbed of their African culture, system, way of life, they assimilated to the European culture which rejected them, didn’t accept them. In other words, it was like “You tell me to learn your ways and when I do you reject me”,
They basically became “in-betweens” trying to re-capture their african past and assimilate to the European system, all in all different groups living together in one country. Of course, they’re gonna fight and kill each other…. They lost their identity.
The world has been westernized. I have nothing wrong with it, I love the western culture. To survive, you have to assimilate. When Egypt ruled the world, everyone wanted to become Egyptian, when Rome ruled the world, everyone wanted to become Roman.
In America, the minorities have to assimilate to the the majority group. If you say that diversity is working, then I’ll say that it’s working as long as each group know their place in society and we know who’s the boss.
America is whitewashed. And again, that’s okay, I have nothing wrong with that.
I link this to Ebonics. I have nothing wrong with people speaking ebonics, just like different dialects and southern accents, but I was always told that you have to know the place where to speak in Ebonics. In an interview, you have to speak with what people say like a “white person” to be better received.. An example of being whitewashed
Which brings me to what Lashawn said about “Why are groups that promote the interests of people of African or Latin American or Middle Eastern descent acceptable, but groups that promote the interests of whites, or people of European descent, unacceptable?”
What people don’t understand is the reasoning behind these culture groups. If blacks don’t feel welcome at an all white Fraternity, they are going to start their own fraternity. If blacks feel that they are not represented on mainstream television, they are going to start a BET.
Most of these “all minorities” groups and clubs, develop as a result of their alienation in the mainstream world.
I mean, what is NBC or CBS or ABC? They’re another word for White Entertainment Television, they are largely ran by Whites and most of their programs from daytime to primetime are generally predominantly whites with a few shows catered to minorities.
If a black writer is having difficulty making it in mainstream, of course, he’s gonna try to do an all black movie.
It’s example that diversity is really not working.
I have nothing with all White groups, and clubs or anything or groups and clubs catered to one particular race as long as they’re not racially motivated.
and I’ve done some research, many of all “whites” organizations tend to be racially motivated, this is why it’s always taboo. While many minorities motivation group are also racially motivated, many of them grow of out dissactification of not being represented or heard.
This brings me to affirmative action. While I don’t agree with it, at the same time, what can we do to abolish employment discrimination. There’s a lot of employement discrimination.
There was a test conducted with resume. A resume was sent to a company with a black sounding name, Tyrone Jackson, the company didn’t reply. The same resume was sent with a white sounding name Mark O-Brian and the company replied.
I’ve noticed employement discrimination, I worked for a company where the supervisor would tell hispanics and black applicants that they were fully staffed but would keep hiring whites.
So while people complain about Affirmative action, I hope they also complain about employment discrimination.
Is that embracing our diversity. I don’t think so.
There are tons of real estate discrimination, housing discrimination ect…
As much as America is progressing, it’s far from being perfect or superior.
I just hate these days, everytime you talk about discrimination, “you’re the angry black man”, even though at times it may be justified…
Like Whoopi was saying to Sean Hannity, as a former welfare mom that helped her a lot, you just can’t generalized issues, you have to take case by case.
It goes back to what I was saying earlier, the silent treatment. People just don’t speak their mind, these days, you can’t talk about discrimination or fear being labelled as a troublemaker, someone who’s living in the past. It’s hypocrisy and deinal to believe that everything is all right.
There’s not such thing as a perfect society, and America is definetely not perfect or the best nation in the world, it is a great nation, yes. I love America because it is progressive.
and I so loved Diversity, hopefully it will work one day in America. But I think it starts by acknowledging our differences, black, white, brown. I think it’s putting yourself in denial saying that we should see things in a colorless point of view. Cause it’s not gonna work, we are different. A Irish American family could have different traditions than an Asian American family. The strenghts is that accepting that we are different, but yet the same that we are all humans. Embracing our differences and merging our different background makes us strong, like a patchwork, we merge together.
The more we try to ignore race or pretend that we are colorless, we will only put ourselves in denial.
There’s nothing wrong with a Mexican American family embracing their Mexican heritage while embracing the American culture at the same time.
Just my two cents. I hope I don’t get demonized (though I know I will) for expressing different points of views. It’s just my opinion.
Comment by Bart — 07.14.06 @ 10:18 pm
Sheldon and JohnD are offended and insulted by by notions and statements, that means I am doing something right. Every time someone tries to shut down disagreement with the liberal shibboleths, people, white and Black, claim to be offended or that the speaker is racist. They don’t like to hear truths. Sheldon you can read my blog where I discuss many of my arguments with liberalism. I don’t care anymore if I am called a racist. The word has lost its meaning long ago. If you care about Black people, and I do, very much, you have to point out the wrongheadedness of the current ideology being touted as the cure for Black ills. Liberalism has failed Blacks and things are getting worse for them not better. For every increase in the Black middle class, the underclass grows. The inner cities are controlled by Democrats, hard core leftists and the Unions. Time to break the chain and try something new.
Comment by Miss Carnivorous — 07.14.06 @ 10:58 pm
I have never read a more clearer(is that a word?) thinking writer! As you can see I’m not the most polished writer, hope my meaning is Clear??:)
An oustanding piece!!
Comment by Mike — 07.15.06 @ 5:59 am
#60 Bart reports: “I’ve noticed employement discrimination, I worked for a company where the supervisor would tell hispanics and black applicants that they were fully staffed but would keep hiring whites.”
Certainly you got this information into the hands of a hungry civil rights attorney. This type of case is pure gold. (Unless the employer has no assets and his pick-up is ten years old. Rednecks hiring bodies off of the day labor wall pretty much get a pass.)
Comment by Heliotrope — 07.15.06 @ 11:35 am
Several years ago, my employer held focus groups to understand the issues of each racial/gender group. The HR rep hosting the meeting of white males was shocked to hear that we had complaints, stunned in fact.
We gave her an earful on reverse discrimination, on the lack of recognition for our culture - as opposed to ‘black history month’ ‘hispanic month’ etc.
nothing changed though
Comment by Marvin — 07.15.06 @ 12:09 pm
I agree with some of this…but I love diversity..
I love all the different kinds of food, people, music, everything….but that’s me…
I think the main American Culture is yet to be defined. I think its good in its own way, just like countless others, but it aint the best. There is no “best”.
Regarding the comment, “there is a movement to mainstream mediocrity…” Are we talking academics here?
There may be, but I dont think that should be our main focus.
From what I have observed, there has been a growing movement to define problems by race. Then there are different degrees given to the severity of the problem depending on the race when it is the exact same problem across the board.
And this ties into the explosive growth of immorality and the changing definition of immorality. So much is being twisted, right is wrong, wrong is right. There is mass deception…
While a person’s wealth determines has always pretty much determined the opportunities and value of that person’s life, it is getting even more prevalent today in this country. I have never seen so much hatred and disregard of people with meager means.
I dont think we should be so much concerned with who is achieving what in school or employment when there are so many people lying, cheating, stealing, killing, disrepecting and etc…just across the board. From the common street criminals to Jeff Skilling and the late Ken Lay. Which is crazy when there is more than enough opportunity to honestly make a decent living here in America.
I guess my point is, yes achievment in school and life and all is great, but it must be built FIRST on that solid foundation of the Bible and the truths of Christ…without that, it means nothing and is fruitless. We have pretty much destroyed that foundation in this country.
I would much rather my daughter accept Christ, tell the truth, be respectful, and be a witness for others than for her to be a straight-A student and achieve “great things” in life. This is not to totally disregard the latter, which is great too, but that means nothing in eternity….
Comment by lukeNC — 07.15.06 @ 1:12 pm
#61
I do not know what ‘liberal shibboleth’ you are accusing me of defending. My point is simply that I do not see black people as a mass of morons that are herded this way and that by smarter, more powerful whites.
The opposite of that statement isYou will find people who do think that in the confines of Amren, Stormfront, CofCC, etc. In fact they blame the ‘black ills’ on both the liberal jew and genetic inferiority. Once again, the black is a barely-human pawn in their fantasy world of White Liberal Jewry Controlling ALL to the detriment of the Whites.
I’m just stating my belief, that black people aren’t pawns for white people. If a black person turns to crime, then that’s his or her fault, same as a white person. People are always blaming failures of INDIVIDUALS onto others. Liberals and conservatives do this all the time. It’s always someone else’s fault.
Stating that white people are wily weilders of power over blacks. I call BS, it’s just another get-out clause.
Just by claiming that you pissed someone off doesn’t mean you win the argument. I piss off white supremacists who would gladly ship every last non-Germanic individual to a nominal swamp in the Congo. By your reckoning that means they are doing something right…
You say that ‘leftists’: “let the Blacks and Latinos live in opposition to the mainstream”
‘Let’? As in ‘allow’? Did you really say that?
Once again. I simply do not believe that blacks are the pawns of whites. But I do see the blame game being perpetuated forever until people start blaming the smallest minority. The Individual.
Make of that ‘liberal shibboleth’ what you will.
Comment by JohnD — 07.15.06 @ 2:48 pm
I totally agree Luke NC. I’m a born again Christian and liberal. Most people say that you can’t be a liberal if you’re a christian. But I believe in free choice. The bible gives us free choice, God gives us a choice. It’s up to us to do the right thing. That’s what makes being a Christian reward, the fact that you’re sacrificing your own desires for the love of God.
I’m against the government telling people how to lead their lives, who should they have sex with. Yes, I’m against gay marriages, but I’m also against anti-sodomy laws. It’s not up to me to tell people who they should have sex it or not.
I’m pro life, but I believe that it is up to the woman to make the decision, deal with her own morals and ethics and pay for the consequences of the action. It’s not up to me to decide what a woman does with her body.
I’m really worried about this anti-gay movement, I wonder if it’s to preserve the values or just people’s homophobia. When you have conservatives you have been married many times and now are preaching about marriage being between a man and a woman, it’s a bit ironic.
Gay marriage hardly affect any straight marriages. Plus America preaches freedom of religion. Using religion as a mean to stop gay marriages would totally not make sense. Because not everyone is Christian.
So, how do I do my duty as a Christian. Basically, my job is to preach the good news. God doesn’t need our help, he can fight his own battles. Christian do more harm with all their protestations and marches about the fall of America’s values and all, all you do is alienate potential souls to Christ.
The more people are going to have agressive anti-gay agenda, the more the gay movement will just rise. Because we’re doing nothing but alienate them.
Just like when your parent tells you not to do something, you do it anyway.
We’re fighting this the wrong way.
It’s really simple.
If each Christian in America brings one soul to Christ, then what you have is a nation full of Christian. If a nation is full of christian, then the government is going to be full of christians. If the governmetn if full of Christians, then we wouldn’t waste time talking about whether to allow gay marriages or not, because we will all be opposed it. Even everyone is Christian in America, then we don’t have to worry about our values being lost and all, since everyone will be following the bible. Abortion, gay marriages will not even be issues to discuss about.
There are simpler ways. As a christian, I love everyone including gays, I don’t like the sin, just like God doesn’t like the sin. My goal is to preach the good news to my neighbors. Pray God and have faith that through me he will touch the unbelievers to believe in Christ and get saved.
That’s it, all this anger, manifestion, worries and frustration about the fall of America is a waste of time, just go around the world and preach the good news.
The notion of preserving and alienating America or like Lashawn stresses on being superior and all, as a christian, I choose not to see things that way. Because God/Jesus sees us as the same, Yes, I’m American and pertain to the American culture and way of life, but first and foremost, I’m Christian and on the last judgement, I will be judged as a Christian, not as an American.
There’s nothing wrong being proud of your heritage whether it be American, black, Irish, Italian, German, Indian ect…and embracing it and wanting to represent it as long as it’s not racially motivated or doesn’t have nationalistic tones of think that my nation is better than yours, but I don’t think it’s right to think oneself as better. To say that I’m an American, therefore we have superior ideals is not right, because to God, we’re all the same regardless of where we come from our the society’s structure we abide by.
Again, I’m not forcing my religion or telling people to become Christian, we all have the freedom to the religion we choose to follow, As a Christian I was just talking about my duty (to preach the good news) and thoughts as a follower of the Christian religion.
Comment by Bart — 07.15.06 @ 2:54 pm
I too agree, Luke, diversity works only when people embraces the differences (music, people, food, ect…), We are all the same, but we’re different and once we learn to accept our differences and embrace/share it, we can succeed.
Speaking on Education. Education isn’t just a black issue, it’s an issue affecting kids. Conservative blame liberals of keeping blacks down. But when are we going to stop talking about the negative and problems issues of blacks or minorities
Both conservatives and liberal do it.
There’s good and bad in every culture, but we always focus (especially the media) on the positive aspects of the majority (whites) and negative aspects of the minorities.
There are always going to be problems no matter what.
Is the Ghetto any worse than the Suburbs. I really don’t think so.
Why are suburban school better funded than inner cities schools?
Oprah had an entire documentary on education. And it’s not failing among blacks.
America ranks in the 20’s among the best education system in the world, it’s gone down and behind countries such as France, Japan, India. So, We’re definetely not better than the rest of the world.
Suburban schools have a high rate of drop out students. Students don’t feel motivated to go to school.
I lived in the Suburbs of New York for a couple of years and the way parents spoiled their kids was really puzzling. I knew one kid who got into a car accident on a weekend partying hard with his friends, that next monday, his parents had already bought him a new car.
Suburban kids (mostly whites) are as dysfunctional as Ghetto Kids, If I can put it that way. They don’t care about education, they care about partying, getting drunk, getting high and spending money.
Parents overwork themselves so they afford living in nice areas, but the guilt of not spending time wi